Racemic synthetic polymers and chirality

Abstract

This review is mainly devoted to the chiral-optical behavior in the solid state of racemic synthetic polymers, which are able to form co-crystalline phases with low molecular mass guest molecules and whose chirality is induced by non-racemic (also temporary) guest molecules. The article starts with the description of chiral features relevant for the synthesis of stereoregular polymers. Subsequently, the chirality of chain helicity and the related phenomena of macromolecular amplification of chirality, both in solution and in the solid state, are discussed. The final part of the article describes the recent achievement of robust chiral-optical films being constituted by a racemic commercial host polymer and achiral guest chromophores.